The Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources, Sidi Tiémoko Touré, has officially announced the launch of the 2025 biological rest period, a measure aimed at replenishing fish stocks and ensuring the sustainability of the fishing sector in Côte d'Ivoire.

This initiative aligns with the country’s national and international obligations, particularly those stemming from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1984, which introduced the concept of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Côte d'Ivoire, with its 200,000 km² EEZ and vast inland water bodies (lagoons, lakes, rivers) covering approximately 1.5% of its total area, has been facing a steady decline in fish production for over three decades. National production dropped from 104,233 tonnes in 2016 to 68,711 tonnes in 2020, representing an overall decrease of 34.1%.

This decline affects both marine fishing (33%) and inland fisheries (36%).

To address this trend, Côte d’Ivoire has implemented legal and policy measures. The law of July 26, 2016, concerning fisheries and aquaculture, provides for actions to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems.

Additionally, the National Strategy for Sustainable Fisheries Management (2022–2026) includes measures to increase fish production.

Biological rest, or seasonal fishing closures, is a spatio-temporal measure that involves halting fishing activities in waters under state jurisdiction. Its objective is to conserve fish stocks and allow for their natural regeneration. Introduced in Côte d'Ivoire in 2023, biological rest initially applied only to marine fishing activities.

Since 2024, the measure has been extended to the Aby and Grand-Lahou lagoons, as well as the Buyo and Kossou lakes. The first two biological rest campaigns showed encouraging results. Full support from the local populations was observed, with no significant increase in fish prices during the period.

In terms of benefits, catches improved both quantitatively and qualitatively, with notable juvenile development and regeneration of fishery resources.

For example, in August 2024, artisanal marine fish production increased by 45% compared to 2022 and by 20% compared to 2023 over the same period. The duration of fishing trips for trawlers decreased from 12 days in 2022 to 6 days in 2024, and from 3 days to 2 days for sardine fishing.

Given these positive outcomes, the biological rest has been widely embraced by local fishing communities, who support its continuation and even call for its expansion to other water bodies, seeing it as a tool for improving their incomes.

For 2025, the scheduled closure of marine fishing is as follows:

• Artisanal marine fishing: July 1 to July 31, 2025

• Semi-industrial fishing: July 1 to August 31, 2025

• Industrial fishing: July 1 to August 31, 2025

Regarding inland waters (lakes, rivers, lagoons, streams), the biological rest will exceptionally be voluntary and non-binding.

This approach of “citizen rest” aims to strengthen community accountability and promote self-regulation, while maintaining a supervisory and scientific support role from the administration.

The Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources reaffirmed that all stakeholders are the primary beneficiaries of this measure.

According to scientists, expected production after five years of closures could reach at least 150,000 tonnes in 2028—a 91% increase compared to the 2022 reference point of 78,671 tonnes.

The ministry praised the exemplary support of the population and called on all actors to continue their efforts to make the 2025 biological rest a collective success, for the benefit of present and future generations. There is a strong commitment to ensuring effective monitoring of water bodies and to seeking collaboration from nearby communities to comply with this measure.

As the Minister stated, “To earn more tomorrow, we must change the way we manage fisheries today.”